Sentimental Value
by Silver261
Summary: It's been six months since Nick left Judy at her ZPD interview, and he regrets ever leaving.
[ _ **Note** : I've gotten concrete information from Rich Moore on twitter that the timeframe between the Press Conference and the Reunion is 2.5 to 3 months. I will correct the time frame for this story when I've got time and motivation to redo it, as I spent quite a while on this. I'm kinda lazy._]

Sentimental Value

"Thank you for your purchase; now kindly get out," the cashier, a beaver, stated in an annoyed tone as he handed what appeared to be a Frappuccino in a soda cup to the target of his annoyance, Nick Wilde.

The fox furrowed his brow and accepted the drink. "Have a good day," Nick replied a little forcefully, walking away. Did the guy put his coffee in that cup on purpose? It looked like he'd have to find a new coffee place… _again_.

Nick hadn't _done_ anything to the cashier, he was just unwanted because he was a fox – a predator. This was the seventh one in the past three months to reject him. All the cheap ones he liked were the first to go, now he had to go to the slightly more expensive Snarlbucks.

How many more would kick him out before he ran out of cafés nearby? He pondered this yet again as he left the small building, put his sunglasses on and headed down the sidewalk. Maybe he should stop buying coffee? He was starting to run low on money now that his cons with Finnick weren't working out with Zootopia's current condition.

If only a certain rabbit would pay for the coffee on his behalf.

Except, that wouldn't happen, because he hadn't seen Judy in six months. Not since he… ditched her. His head lowered a little at that. He'd been angry at her – v _ery_ angry – and hearing her call for him to come back in that desperate voice of hers hadn't fazed him. Until the next day anyway. He regretted it. Judy didn't realize what she'd done until he pointed it out.

He thought about going back to find her, but his mind would bring up what she'd said and he decided against it. He kept at it for a month, and over time he just thought "It's too late to try" and stopped considering it.

After her interview, things just got worse for him. That coffee shop was one of the many things he couldn't go to anymore. Nick had tried a couple times to con some people with Finnick, but the tiny fox noticed he wasn't 100% into it.

"What's wrong whitchu' man?" the Fennec had asked with his arms crossed, "It's kinda hard to do our job with you bein' all…" He motioned to Nick, "Depressed."

Nick pulled his head back a little, "I'm not _depressed_ ," he said a little defensively, "Things just aren't working out that well with all the 'Predators are potential savages' situation." He crossed his arms and frowned down at his partner, "It was hard enough to do in the first place because we're foxes." He jerked his thumb up, pointing over his shoulder at the latest failed con attempt, "These guys were spouting the same nonsense from news networks that started this mess."

Finnick rolled his eyes, "Uh huh, and _that's_ why you keep that stupid pen in your pocket." At the sight of Nick's eyes widening, Finnick made a _tch_ sound, " _She_ didn't help our situation none. Made it _worse_ is what that little bunny did. Why the hell you keep that pen, man?"

Nick moved a paw into his pocket, holding the little recording carrot pen tightly. He broke eye contact with Finnick, "It's got… sentimental value."

Finnick couldn't keep a straight face, he – quite literally – boomed with laughter, making Nick flinch. Finnick wiped away fake tears, "You are ridiculous! You were with her _two days_ and you already liked her. Well reality check, fool – she's gone. You haven't seen her in three _months_!"

Nick looked a little stricken. He wanted to retort but didn't. Finnick's grin died and he sighed, "'Kay, I admit she was nice, but you gotta let it go, man. There ain't no way she gonna want to see _you_ after what you did," he turned around and headed for his van, "An' with the way things are goin' now, I don't know how long we can keep up our hustles." He hopped up and slammed the door, looking at Nick as he put on his sunglasses, "You've gotta let it go, Nick. It's draggin' you down," he started the van, "Ciao." And he drove off.

Well, they'd given up after a couple weeks, nothing was working out. Nick had enough money saved up to last a short time if he spent wisely. For example, he had to leave his apartment because he couldn't pay rent anymore. Funny, he'd told Judy that she'd be living under a bridge. Now here he was…

Nick walked into the park and followed the road to his current "home." A stone bridge over a dry creek bed in front of an abandoned warehouse. The con artist was living the Zootopian dream all right. Nick climbed down to his lawn chair and dropped into the seat, stretching his legs out to the old metal pail he used as a footrest. He sat there for a few minutes before reaching into his pocket and pulling the orange pen out. The fox stared at it for a good ten minutes, occasionally drinking his coffee. He wanted to apologize to her, but he couldn't. Judy wasn't in Zootopia anymore.

He'd watched Judy a week after the "breakup" on one of the TV's he passed in a window. She was at the Gazelle peace rally trying to keep a pig and cheetah apart. The rabbit officer looked distressed. Anyone glancing at Nick might have seen his face laced with worry.

So when he'd heard from passerby that the "hero bunny cop" had resigned as an officer two months ago, Nick finally made the decision he should have made much, much earlier: he went to the ZPD building.

"I'm sorry," the receptionist said, "Judy went back home yesterday."

Nick's eyes unfocused, his brow furrowed, and he looked at the floor. His paw rose, forehead resting atop it. " _What?_ " he stressed, barely above a whisper. This question was more to himself than the receptionist. Why hadn't he come here earlier?

The hippo nodded, "She went back to her hometown after she quit. Bunny Burrow if I remember correctly," he shrugged, "I know you guys might be angry at her for what she said on TV a few months back, but–"

"No no no, I just…" Nick's shoulders slumped and he turned around to leave, "Nevermind."

He should have taken action sooner. He shouldn't have waited. It was too late.

He wouldn't be able to apologize. She was gone.

Now the only thing he had was this pen. He placed his coffee down and did something he'd started to do a lot lately.

Nick sighed and hit the record button, "Carrots– Judy… I'm sorry. I… I was really angry, and I didn't think about how you felt after I left… I lost the best friend I had because I let you get to me," he scoffed at that, "Funny, I couldn't follow my own advice."

Leaning forward he continued, "I didn't try to apologize, and when I actually _did_ try, I'd waited four months too long. Now all this dumb fox has is a pen that he's recording his voice with and – _okay_ that's enough." He stopped recording and lightly slapped his free paw to his face and slid it down. This wasn't helping. He hit the play button and listened to himself apologize to the non-existent bunny. If Judy could see him now, she would probably laugh at this pathetic display. If she was here, he wouldn't be acting like this. He was so stupid…

Nick erased the recording and put the pen back in his pocket. He had a coffee to finish and a day to waste. He'd probably take a nap under his bridge-home and continue his regret-riddled thoughts. That was the plan.

Until he heard the sound of a vehicle nearby. It stopped and a door slammed shut.

A voice he had been longing for for months came from that direction, and Nick's ears shot up.

Judy Hopps called out his name, "Nick?"

* * *

 **A/N: The calendar next to Bellwether's computer said May 17** **th** **, and from the 1.5 seconds I had to see the newspapers at the Hopps farm, I read November 27** **th** **. That's six months. That got me thinking: "Nick had that pen for months. Of course he still cared about Judy."**

 **However, that could have just been an old newspaper, or I read the wrong thing, but it was still an interesting idea.**

 **Many thanks to those other things who Beta read this short story and pointed out a lot of stuff I missed and gave me writing tips; those other things also happens to have an amazing Zootopia FanFiction titled _Cause I've Been Thinking_. I implore you to read it, it's one of _the_ _best_ Zootopia fanfictions I've read! It's right here on FanFiction, so look it up!**


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